1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire harness for use in an instrument panel of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a wire harness for use in an instrument panel (hereinafter also referred to simply as "inpane"), which can easily make assembling of the inpane with an air duct, and connection or assembling of an electrical instrument unit to the inpane by means of an improvement in the positioning accuracy of a unit receiving connector
2. Description the Related Art
A wire harness for use in an inpane as shown in FIGS. 10-13 has been proposed in order to improve connection between several kinds of electric instruments on an inpane and a harness for inpane (Japanese Patent Appln. 8-121999).
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness device for use in an instrument panel. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an air duct and a wire harness which constitute the wire harness device. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a connector holder arranged on the air duct. FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the state where a unit receiving connector is attached to the connector holder.
In FIG. 10, reference numerals 111 and 112 denote a center cluster unit and a meter unit which serve as electrical instrument units. From the rear side of these electrical instrument units 111 and 112, connectors to be connected to a harness 140 are protruded which are prepared for electric connection with a unit receiving connector 140B of the harness 140 for an instrument panel 140, described later.
Reference numeral 120 denotes an instrument panel which is a large size resin mold product. On the center and right side thereof, attachment regions 121 and 122 for the electrical instrument units 111 and 112 are formed. On both right and left ends thereof, air blow-off openings 123 and 124 each equipped with a fin for adjusting a flow rate are formed.
Reference numeral 130 denotes an air duct, which is a large-sized resin mold product like the instrument panel 120, is combined with the instrument panel 120.
As seen from FIGS. 11-13, on the regions corresponding to the attachment regions of the instrument panel 120 of the air duct 130, connector holder frames 130A which serve to hold unit receiving connectors 140B of the harness 140 for inpane are integrally formed.
On the front wall of the connector holder 130A, a step-like connector fitting opening 131 is made. Below both sides of the connector fitting opening 131, engagement pieces 132 are provided for holding the unit receiving connector 140B.
Bosses 122, which are to be fitted into holes 125 formed on the underside of the instrument panel, are protruded from the flange of the upper surface of the connector holder 130A.
As shown in FIG. 10, the wire harness 140 for use in the instrument panel is made of a flexible printed board 140A. As seen from FIGS. 12 and 13, the flexible printed board 140A with the ends folded is mounted in the housing 141 to form the unit receiving connector 140B.
On the upper/lower and left/right sides of the housing 141 of the unit receiving connector 140B, six spring pieces 142 are formed.
When the unit receiving connector 140B is fit in the connector fitting opening 131, each spring piece 142 is brought into elastic contact with the inner wall of the connector holder 130A so that the unit receiving connector 140B is movably supported horizontally and vertically.
In the wire harness device described above, the wire harness 140 for the instrument panel is combined with the air duct 130 which is assembled with the instrument panel 120.
When the electrical instrument units 111 and 112 are attached to the attachment regions of the instrument panel 120, the connectors (not shown) of the electrical instrument units 111 and 112 are connected to the unit receiving connectors 140B positioned by the connector holder 130A of the air duct 130.
Even if the connector holder 130A is slightly shifted in position owing to the size error in the air duct which is a large-sized resin molding product, the unit receiving connector 140, when coupled with the connector to be connected to the harness for inpane, is moved vertically and horizontally to correct the position error.
In the above wire harness device for inpane, the position error of the connector holder 130A is corrected by only the movement of the unit receiving connector 140B. Therefore, if the size error of the air duct 130 is large, the position error cannot be corrected by only the vertical and horizontal movement of the unit receiving connector 140B.
Thus, if the position error occurs in the air duct 130, it becomes difficult to make assembling of the instrument panel 120 and air duct 130, connection of the electrical instrument units 111 and 112 and the harness for the inpane and assembling of these electrical instrument units with the inpane 120. This requires an improvement of the positioning accuracy of the unit receiving connector 140B.